5 things we learned from SpartanNash's first corporate responsibility report

On Tuesday, SpartanNash released its first corporate responsibility report to highlight progress in corporate giving, volunteering, health and wellness, recycling and other environmental initiatives.

“SpartanNash is mindful that our business decisions, products, services and operations have a direct impact on the environment, our communities, customers and co-workers,” Meredith Gremel, VP of corporate affairs and communications, said in a press release. “This report provides an overview of our journey and how SpartanNash is leveraging both our voice and footprint to make a difference in the communities we serve. We hope that all who read it are inspired by our stories and successes and continue to follow our Corporate Responsibility journey.”

Here are five things we learned from the report:

1. The SpartanNash Foundation increased its giving by 45% from 2015 to 2016
The Byron Center, Mich., company’s charitable giving arm, the SpartanNash Foundation, is funded by the company and its employees. In 2016, the foundation gave $1.83 million to community nonprofits, up from $1.26 million in 2015. Recipients included local branches of the Special Olympics, Loaves and Fishes and the DeVries Nature Conservancy.

2. SpartanNash employees will volunteer more than 15,000 hours in 2016
The retailer announced it is on track to surpass its goal of 15,000 volunteer hours this year. It also launched the 100 Club: If an employee logs more than 100 volunteer hours in a calendar year, SpartanNash will donate $100 to the charity of his or her choice.

3. Employee diversity is on the rise
SpartanNash says 30% of the directors on its board are female, 20% are black, and 10% have military backgrounds. Overall, 47% of employees are women, including 45% of corporate employees and 27% of executive officers. People of color make up 18% of the workforce.

4. SpartanNash more than tripled its participation in Double Up Food Bucks in 2016
The Double Up Food Bucks program awards points to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) beneficiaries who buy local produce. The points can be redeemed for any free fruits and vegetables. SpartanNash piloted the program at two Family Fare Supermarkets in 2014, before expanding to five stores in 2015 and 17 stores in 2016.

5. Sales of organics jumped 29.9% at wholesale and 18.6% at corporate-owned stores in the second quarter of 2016
In many places, SpartanNash offers its distribution customers more than 1,000 organic products. The company anticipates more significant increases in organic sales as it expands the availability of its Full Circle products.